Blue Electric Roses
by Veritable-Wasteland
Summary: There's nothing in the world like Blue Electric Roses. A story in which Sora searches for his. Soriku. One-Shot.


**Blue Electric Roses**

A/N: This story was requested by a friend and was _supposed_ to go into my drabble collection, but it ran away and decided to become a stand alone, fluff-filled one shot.

This story is inspired by a discussion about how every lyric site has the first line of a song called Blue Electric Roses by Travis Garland, wrong.

Note: Blue Roses are about mystery and/or attaining the impossible. The blue rose is also used as a symbol of love at first sight.

Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts or Travis Garland I can assure you, I would much too busy rolling around in my Hot Tub of Cash with my sexy singing husband to be writing fan-fiction.

* * *

"All right, Roxas, I'm heading out!" Sora called to his brother as he simultaneously shoved his feet into his shoes and his keys and wallet into his back pocket.

He looked over his shoulder to check the yellow star-shaped clock adorning the wall of the entrance way. It was nearly three. _That's what happens when you start playing video games so close to leaving time."_ He mentally scolded himself. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair. Sofa pillows were notoriously known for bringing his brown, gravity-defying, locks back down to Earth.

"Think he'll be there this time?" A voice asked.

Sora looked over at his brother, who'd quietly appeared, leaning against the door-frame. A popsicle stick dangled from his lips, his blond hair in disarray from lounging alongside him on the sofa.

"Sure hope so." The brunet answered his younger brother's look of encouragement with a determined nod of his own. Sora waved briefly at his sibling before lightly jogging down the sidewalk of their shared apartment.

Sora shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way down to the beach of his hometown. This little trip had become a daily ritual for the young man. A daily ritual that would hopefully lead him to what Roxas had playfully dubbed his "Blue Rose." No doubt an illusion to the fanciful story their mother used to tell them as children. A familiar little tale about a young man who was told that one day he'd encounter his true love, who would have eyes and hair that were almost not of this world. One day the young man did in fact meet his true love. They spent a wonderful day together but just as suddenly as his love appeared, they disappeared. As mystical and illusive as a blue rose.

The story was Roxas' favorite but never sat well with Sora because the story had no resolution. The young man searched and searched but could never find them again. And as soon as Roxas made the connection, Sora was determined to not wind up forever searching like the man in his mother's story.

It took little to no time at all for Sora to reach the familiar soft sand that coated the beach of Destiny Islands. He peeled off his shoes and made his way to his usual spot. The spot where Sora first met him.

Sora leaned back and stared out at the water, a smile lifting the corners of his lips as he remembered the first time he'd laid eyes on the mystifying silver haired male.

* * *

It was the day after Sora's 15th birthday and still feeling entitled to the lazy, responsibility-free feelings that came along with the annual celebration, he decided to sneak out of the house, deserting his half-finished chores. Instead, the brown haired male made his way down to the beach. And right where Sora usually lay to soak up the sun, was where he'd first found him. Arms folded underneath his head, eyes closed, breathing even. Sora walked up to the stranger and peered at him, fascinated. His entire life, he'd been subjected to the same faces, same voices. Every now and then there would be a visitor but most of the time he was subjected to the limited variety of people that took up stock on the islands.

"See something interesting?" The stranger spoke. Sora, caught up in examining the young man, fell back onto his butt in surprise.

"I-uh- You- You're not from around here." He stated more than asked.

"Perceptive." The silver hair male sat up, turning towards Sora with an aquamarine gaze that shook him up even more than his sudden appearance on the islands had.

"So, you're from another world?" Sora gasped, grinning excitedly.

"Looks that way, doesn't it?" The male answered, dusting the sand from his arms and hair.

"Where are you from? From far away? How did you get here? Do your parents own a Gummi ship? Or-" Sora babbled.

"Whoa! Calm down, Motormouth." The visitor laughed. "You're going a mile a minute."

"Sorry." Sora blushed. "Guess I got excited."

"Really now? I couldn't tell." The stranger responded, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

Sora offered an apologetic shrug unsure of how to respond.

"I'm from Radiant Garden. My parents have always wanted to visit this place. I was actually born here but we moved when I was about three. We did get here by ship but we don't own it. Just renting it for a few days. Did I answer all of your questions?" The visitor answered.

"For now." Sora answered, feeling successful as he earned a light laugh from his new companion.

"So, I'm guessing you live here?"

"Yep. Born and Raised. With my brother and my mom. My brother's a year younger My mom owns a flower shop over by the pier. Basically my entire family lives here except for my one aunt who moved to Traverse Town and no one really likes to talk about her much I think because she went to jail that one time... I'm talking too much again, aren't I?"

The other young man chuckled. "I don't mind it, really. I think it's sort of cute." The brunet was torn between blushing and smiling largely. So he settled on both before the stranger spoke again. "I guess I could tell you a little about my family since you were so open about yours. I'm here with my mom and stepdad. I don't have any siblings. And I have an Uncle back on Radiant Garden. That's about it."

Sora bounced in his seat. "So, do you like it here?"

The visitor shrugged. "It's pretty. I think it's the kind of place where you have to know people and know what to do to really be able to enjoy it, though, if that makes sense."

"Yeah. Guess so. My brother and I sword fight in the sand sometimes. One time we built a raft with our friend, Kairi because we thought we could take us to other worlds but... it didn't... exactly work out that way." He chewed on his lower lip as he finished his sentence. The further he got into his explanation of their usual activities, the more he realized just how childish it all sounded.

The Visitor raised a brow. "Sword fighting, huh?" Sora nodded hesitantly."Do you have the swords with you?"

The brunet perked up. "Give me a second." He jumped to his feet and ran over to the large rock he and Roxas always stowed their wooden swords behind. He snatched them up and handed the one with Roxas' name carved into the side. "Gotta warn you though, I _am _pretty good at this." Sora said, taking his usual wide-legged stance.

"Yeah. We'll see." The visitor scoffed jokingly.

The two had spent the latter half of the afternoon alternating between talking and sparring. The sun had just about dipped completely out of the sky, painting it a light pink. The moon was beginning to make itself known alongside a few select stars when the two collapsed on the sand, their chests heaving as they struggled to bring an adequate amount of oxygen into their lungs.

"I think... I'm going...to die." Sora said as he laid a hand over his pounding heart.

The silver haired visitor laughed. "I think you're going to be fine."

"Oh, so you're a doctor? Been to medical school and back in the past 5 seconds?" Sora teased.

"Wow. For a dying man, you sure are a smart ass." The visitor shot back with a chuckle.

"Get it from my brother, I'm sure." Sora shot up. "You totally have to meet Roxas. He's over at his friend Axel's house today, but tomorrow-"

"I leave in the morning." The other young man interjected quietly.

Sora's felt his smile fade and shoulders droop. "Oh."

"Yeah. We're heading to the Land of Dragons, I think."

"Cool." The brunet answered, his voice lacking its earlier enthusiasm as he fell back into the sand.

The pair sat in silence for a while. Both sprawled out into the sand, their limbs spread so that they resembled starfish. Sora couldn't help but feel waves of disappointment crawl through his gut as he realized he might never see his new friend again. He let out a minute sigh and let his eyes wander sideways as he took in the sight next to him. Aquamarine eyes tracing the sky overhead, chest rhythmically falling up and down. He wanted to memorize this, every angle of his jaw, the pattern in which his hair fell over the sand. He needed to tuck these images away into the safest places of his mind for later reference. Beauty like this wasn't something you came across everyday.

"Thanks." The lips Sora had been intently studying, spoke.

"For what?" He answered.

"Spending the day with me. Making today memorable." The stranger turned his head, seemingly studying Sora just as intently as Sora had been studying him.

"You don't have to thank me. I wanted to." Sora answered, his voice octaves lower than he intended it to be.

The other young man's face broke out into a genuine grin and just for a moment, Sora had to re-teach himself how to breathe properly. "Saltwater."

Sora blinked. "W-What?"

"Your eyes. They're like... a saltwater blue. They're...nice." He complimented with a face as if he hadn't meant for the words to come out.

The brunet felt his face warm uncontrollably, almost unable to process the words properly. "Thanks."

The stranger turned away and Sora couldn't be sure but he could have sworn he saw a blush dance across the apples of the other man's cheeks. Sora turned back to the sky, the corners of hip lips quirked upwards. At some point as he stared intently at the sky, reveling in the perfection of the day, he fell asleep.

When Sora opened his eyes a while later, the stranger had gone, not even an imprint in the sand to signify his presence was even real. He had nearly convinced himself it was a dream when he found it. A small strip of paper tucked underneath Roxas' wooden sword.

_Our next meeting. It's closer than you think. Promise._

_ -R_

* * *

Since then, Sora had made it his mission to visit the beach everyday at the same time, sitting in the same spot he'd first found the young man. And in the three years since their initial meeting, not one day had gone by that he didn't think about "R". The brunet snatched himself out of the past and plopped himself back into the present. He sighed and checked his cellphone. It was already 3:30.

Another day. Another no-show.

Sora fought down the usual tendrils of defeat and stood. He gave the water one last glance before he turned on his heels ready to trudge back home empty handed. He was halfway up the beach when a silver glint from the pier caught his eye.

He wasn't sure of when he started running nor was he sure if his heart was pounding due to his sudden speed or the sight of long silver hair that seemed to be flowing ethereally.

"It's you!" Sora exclaimed. The man, back turned to him, turned suddenly."You came back."

The man grinned at him, recognizing Sora instantly. "Kinda told you I would, didn't I?"

Sora fought the growing lump that sat in throat. "I almost thought you wouldn't."

"I'm a man of my word, Sora"

The brunet felt goosebumps creep along his arms as his name flowed from the other man's mouth. "How do you-"

"Your sword. I kind of figured you'd keep yours and hand me the other one that said Roxas because well..." He shrugged as means to fill in the rest of his sentence.

Sora scowled petulantly. "And you couldn't at least tell me yours?" He pulled the worn slip of paper from his pocket. " All you said was 'R'. R could stand for Rabid Road-running Rebel for all I know."

"You kept that?" The other young man asked cutting Sora's impending tirade short. His eyes widened as he stared at the paper. Sora didn't miss the way the man slowly crept closer as if drawn in by the paper.

"Had to. It was the only way I could convince myself you were real. That I didn't make you up." Sora answered. His mouth felt dry as the silver haired man continued moving. "I wanted you to be real. To come back. My brother tells me I'm kind of obsessive about things sometimes, I know. But I just really wanted to see you again-"

Sora's semi-panicked, run-on explanation was effectively cut short as his lips were caught in a kiss. If asked, he would swear that in that moment every bone in his body was akin to melted butter as he let his entire body fall into it. Sora sighed contently. He could almost feel tendrils of electricity shoot down through his limps. Sparks igniting between their lips. It was equal parts sweet, shy, and longing, and he never wanted to pull away. But as human bodies mandated oxygen, he had too.

"Riku." The other man spoke after a beat of silence. "My name is Riku and I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you."

"Riku." Sora parroted intelligently.

The brunet was gifted another genuine smile as their eyes met again. "I'm actually planning on staying longer than just a day this time."

Sora nodded absently. His entire vocabulary had been sucked away before a light bulb went off bringing clarity to his hazy mind. "Oh! Wait! I brought this!"

The brunet reached into his another pocket and pulled out a small ziploc bag containing a yellow star-shaped fruit. "It's a -"

"Paopu fruit." Riku finished. "My parents told me about them."

Sora nodded shyly, his gaze suddenly super-glued to his feet. "I-I wanted us to share it. That way if you left again... We'd still be connected, no matter what. But you don't have to i-it's stupid. We hardly even know each other and..."

Riku chuckled and plucked the small bag from the babbling shorter man's hands, effectively shutting him up. "I'll gladly share it with you. On one condition."

Sora looked up at him wide-eyed and nodded.

"Show me around my new home."

"Y-your new home? You're moving here?"

"Moved. Past tense. Just finished unpacking this morning." Riku shoved his free hand into his pocket and looked past Sora at the beach. "Since I left the only thing I've ever been able to really think was Saltwater and how much I really wanted to see it again." He turned back to Sora with a smirk. "Know what I mean?"

The brunet unable to control himself, flung his arms tightly around the silver haired male's neck. The feelings from earlier sparked thorough his entire being again as sharp as lightening. "I know exactly what you mean, Riku."

Unlike the man in his mother's story, Sora had finally found his Blue Rose, again. His Blue Electric Rose.

* * *

I hope I did well because I was promised cheesecake and Dragon Age 2 if I did.

If you liked it, feel free to leave me a review in that wonderful little box below. It's the only way I'll know I don't suck royally at this whole writing thing.


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